The name the Backstreet Boys has been etched in pop culture so deeply that many fans never actually paused to ponder its real origins. Yet, recent online chatter has amazed loads of fans who've discovered the truth.
The 90s' teen sensations weren't named after an enigmatic alley. Nor was the band's name a hat tip to Billy Joel's Uptown Girl, as some theories suggested.
As it turns out, the catchy name was inspired by an actual spot – the once-bustling Backstreet Market in Orlando, a flea market now relegated to the annals of the past. One user on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) couldn't hide their surprise at learning this.
They wrote: "Bruh, the Backstreet Boys are from Orlando and named themselves after the Orlando Backstreet Market. Whaaat??" Meanwhile, another social media user confessed to stumbling upon this trivia during a nocturnal internet quest, writing: "Woke up at 4am for some emergency Wikipedia-ing and couldn't get back to sleep, but at least now I know the Backstreet Boys were named after the Backstreet Market near where they recorded in Orlando."
The band, responsible for anthems such as Everybody and As Long As You Love Me, actually tracks its humble beginnings to early 1992. It all started when Lou Pearlman, an entrepreneur gunning to craft the next chart-topping boyband, published a casting call in the Orlando Sentinel paper for young vocal talents.
A. J, McLean was the first to step into the spotlight, belting tunes in Pearlman's living room, and swiftly securing his spot as the pioneering member of the soon-to-explode pop group. Howie Dorough and Nick Carter, who both already had a foot in the door of the world of showbiz, joined the ranks next.
They were followed by Kevin Richardson, who had moved from Kentucky to Orlando and was working at Disney World, portraying characters such as Aladdin and even a Ninja Turtle for kids' shows. Kevin reached out to his cousin, Brian Littrell, back in Kentucky.
Still in high school, Brian received Kevin's life-altering call to join the group. Without hesitation, the very next day, he hopped on a plane to Orlando, sealing the Backstreet Boys' lineup on April 20, 1993.
With the lineup locked in, the next step was to coin their name. The band members and their early reps would tell and retell how the moniker Backstreet Boys sprung from the local teen hub that was Orlando's Backstreet Market, a favorite spot for youths to rev up their cars, blast tunes, and socialize.
Describing the inspiration behind the name, Kevin Richardson recalled in an interview with Dutch channel TMF: "There's a place in Orlando, like a local hangout, where a lot of people like to cruise around in their convertibles and listen to music and meet girls... it's called the Backstreet Market, and that's where we got our name."
Their foothold in music began to solidify come 1995 with a contract from Jive Records. Despite European success with their debut album, it wasn’t until 1997 that they truly captured America’s heart.
Their 1997 smash hit album Backstreet's Back catapulted them to stardom in the States, with chart-toppers like I Want It That Way and Larger Than Life. By the time the 90s were wrapping up, they'd inked an eye-watering $60million contract with Jive Records.
But some locals from Orlando have raised questions over the tale. One sceptic shared a snap of the old marketplace online, writing: "This is the former Backstreet Market where the Backstreet Boys supposedly got their name. The story is that this was a flea market where lots of younger people hung out, including the Backstreet Boys in the early '90s.
"It's likely a made-up backstory by Lou Pearlman, because in actuality, it was a rundown open-air flea market. Younger people were more likely hanging out at the theme park directly behind it."
But whatever the truth, the moniker Backstreet Boys resonated - and before long, they were on top of the pop world. Riding the wave of nostalgia for the 90s, they've seen a resurgence in recent times and are all set to rock the stage with a 12-show stint at the Sphere in Las Vegas later this year.
